Rail joint



.1, B. MURRAY RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. I922.

1,435,775., Patented Nov. 28, 1922,

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

lThltTEfi QTTATES JOHN B. MURRAY, 0F WILMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed April 17,

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN B. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilmington, in the county of "Will and Eitate 01"? Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in rail joints, and it consists in the combina-- tions, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a rail joint in which the downward pressure of a railroad car wheel in passing over the junction of two sections of rails is counterbalanced by an upward pressure upon the ends of the rail sections.

A further object of my invention 18 to provide a device or" the character described in which the weight of the car wheel is carried by three points on the rail.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the greatest part of the weight of the car passing over the rail joint is carried by the thickest part of the rail base.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which has novel means for supporting the adjacent ends of the rail sections.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is simple in construction and which can be readily applied. to rail tracks of ordinary construction. I

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the (lGVlCQ as shown operatively applied to a railroad track,

higure 2 is a plan view of the device,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and I Figure 4c is a section along the line l-l of Figure 1.

In carrying out my invention, 1 make use of two sections of railroad track 1 and 2 which are supported by railroad ties The parts described are ordinary in con-- 1922. seal a... 553,565.

struction and form no part of my invention, except in so far as they cooperate with the parts hereinafter described.

The rail sections 1 and 2 have bolt holes 4 therein. In place of the ordinary fish plate which ordinarily joins the rail sec tions together, it provide plates 5 of the shape shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4. These plates are substantially as long as the ordinary fish plate and are disposed on each sideof the rail sections 1 and 2. As clearly shown in Figure 8, the plates 5 are lshaped and are supported by the base 6 of the rail. The inner sides of the plates 5 do not engage with the web 7 of the rail but are spaced slightly therefrom. The plates 5 have elongated openings 8 therein through which are disposed bolts 9, these bolts being inserted through the last opening 4: from the end in the rail sections. The bolts 9 are merely to hold the plates against longitudinal movement with respect to the rail sections 1 and 2. It is to be noted that the rail plates 5 may swing slightly toward or away fromthe web 7 in a manner hereinafter described.

The plates are further held against outward movement by means of retaining members 10 of the shape shown in Figure 3. These members have recesses 11 therein which are adapted to snugly receive the base of the rail. In assembling the members 10 to the rails, the members are slipped onto the ends of the rails and are slid into place. Theplates 5 have recesses 12 adjacent to the ends thereof, into which the members 10 extend. The recesses 12 prevent any longitudinal movement of the plates 5 with respect to each other, since the mem- 4 bers 10 are received in the recesses and securely hold them in place.

It will be observed from Figure 1 thatthe upper edges of the plates 5 do not abut against the under sideof the rail head 13. It will further be observed that the central portions of the plates 5 have recesses 14 therein which receive rail supporting bars 15. The under sides of the bars 15 are tapered and are received in the tapered recesses 1 1. It will therefore be apparent that any downward movement ofthe rail will tend to force the bars 15 downwardly so as to throw the upper portions of the plates 5 outwardly. This movement is prevented by means of extensions 16 which are disposed midway between the ends of the plates 5 and are integral therewith (see Figure 4). The extensions 16 project over the sides of the rail base 6 and are adapted to support the head 17 of a rail supporting bolt 18. The extensions 16 are relatively wide and heavy so as to readily withstand the strain to which they are subjected when a train passes over,

will also tend to swing the arms or extensions 16 outwardly, whereby the upper edges of the plates 5 will be swung inwardly and will force the bars 15 into engagement with the under side of the heads 13 of the rail sections. The bolt 18 in reality acts as a supporting member to the rail sections by means of the nut 19 and also by means of the extensions 16 acting through the bars 15. It is obvious therefore that the bolt 18 with the members 10 acts as a novel locking means by which the plates 5 are locked in place. It is also obvious that the bolt 18 supports the rail sections through the means of the nut 19 and the extension 16.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In assembling the device to two rail sections, the members 10 are first slid'into place and the plates 5 are disposed on each side of the rails and are held in place by means of the members 10. The tapered bars 15 are then disposed in the recesses 14 and the plates 5 are secured to each other by means of the bolts 9. The rail supporting bolt 18 may now be disposed in position. and when tightened will force the extensions 16 outwardly in the manner heretofore described. The tightening of the bolt will cause the bars 15 to more firmly engage with. the head of the rails and will cause the nut 19 to engage with the under side of the rail sections. In Figure 4;, I have shown the top of the nut 19 as bein rounded. 'The rounded portion 21 allows tile bolt 18 to swing into the proper position with respect to the rail sections 1 and 2 and the extensions 16. The rounded portion 21 is really cylindricalin shape and permits the bolt 18 to swing transversely with respect to the rails and not longitudinally thereto. From this construction it will be observed that if the extensions 16 are not exactly accurate in detail. whereby the extensions 16 of the plateswill be swung laterally with respect to the rail sections, the bolt 1.8 will be swung into the required position so as to exert an equal force on both of the extensions 16, this swinging being permitted by the rounded portion 21 of the nut 19. The rounding of the nut 21 does not in the slightest interfere with the eiiiciency of the bolt 18, but merely permits the bolt to assume various angles as is required by the irregularities of the shapes of the extensions 16.

Assume that a train is passing over the rail sections. The weight of the train is transmitted to the rail sections by means of the train wheels, this weight in turn being carried by the bars 15 and the nut 19. The tendency of the rail sections to move clownwardly when a train passes thereover, causes the bars 15 to tend to swing the upper portions of the plates 5 outwardly, which in turn will tend to swing the extensions 16 toward each other. This movement of the plates 5 and the extension 16 is prevented, since the extensions 16 engage with the head 17 of the bolt 18. In other words, a like force or a positive resistance to the downward movement of the rail sections is exerted by the bolt 18 through the means of the extensions 16. The plates 5 are really supported by the lower portions 22 of the plates 5 which are tangent to the base 6 of the rails, and which are carried by the plates. The portions 22 of the plates 5 really act as fulcrums to the plates 5 and the extensions 16 which are in reality levers. Any tendency of the rail sections to move downwardly when a train passes thereover is also prevented by the nut 19 which engages with the bases 6 of the rail sections. It is obvious that if the bolt 18, is moved downwardly, the arms 16 will be swung outwardly and will cause the bars 15 to more firmly engage with the heads of the rail sections. The extensions 16 are made relatively wide adjacent to the upper portions thereof, whereby the strength of the extensions is greatly increased. The bolt 18 may be rotated with respect to the nut 19, since the nut 19 is held against rotation by the inner surfaces of the extensions 16.

The device provides a means by which the downward movement of the ends of the rail sections is obviated. The device may be readily attached to the ordinary railroad track construction. As heretofore stated, the entire weight of the railroad car passing over the rail section is carried by three points, i. e., the bars 15, the portions 22, and the portions of the extensions 16 which engage with the head 17. The rounding of the nut 19- permits the bolt 18 to adapt itself to various angles with respect to the rail sections 1 and 2. The device consists of a minimum number of parts and is not likely to easily get out of order.

It is to be noted that the members 10 prevent the lower edges of the plates 5 from moving outwardly. Very little of the weight which is carried by the rail sections is trans mitted to the members 10, since the force is in a downward direction and is carried by the base of the rails which abut the portions 22. The portions 22 of the plates 5 which engage with the base 6 of the rail are disposed adjacent to the ends of the plates. The lower portion of the plates 5 are curved slightly so as to have the end portions 22 engage with the rail bases.

I claim:

1. The combination with two rail sections, of a connecting plate disposed on each side of said rail sections, said plates being fashioned so as to tangently engage with and be carried by the rail bases, and adjustable means carried by said plates for engaging with the head and bases of said rails, said plates being adapted to force said means into closer engagement with said rail sections when a weight is carried by the rail sections.

2. The combination with two rail sections,

of a plate disposed on each side of said rail 2 sections and being swingably carried by the rail bases, a rail supporting bolt carried by said plates and abutting the undersides of said rail bases, blocks carried by said plates and adapted to be forced into engagement with said rail heads when the upper edges of said plates are swung towards each other, said bolt being adapted to swing the upper edges of said plates toward each other.

3. The combination with two rail sections, of a plate disposed on each side of said rail sections and being swingably carried by the rail bases, a rail supporting bolt carried by said plates and abutting the undersides of said rail bases, blocks carried by said plates and adapted to be forced into engagement with said rail heads when the upper edges of said plates are swung towards each other, said bolt being adapted to swing the upper edges of said plates toward each other, a nut carried by said bolt and having a cylindrical convex head engaging with said rail bases, said nut permitting said bolt to swing laterally with respect to said rails.

JOHN B. MURRAY. 

